Newark, De. – During Fresh Summit, Produce Marketing Association shared a number of award winners throughout the program, but none quite like the announcement for Floral Marketer of the Year. This year’s winner, Debora Steier, vice president of floral at Albertsons, was recognized in front of her peers and family. The event, hosted virtually due to the pandemic, featured a Floral Community reception where last year’s winner, Micky Byland, announced Steier’s win while her Albertson team members secretly gathered, in a safe, socially distant way, to deliver the award. The announcement matched the excitement and surprise that is tradition with the Floral Marketer of the Year award, but Steier’s win is even more important this year.
“Debora earned this award not simply because of her lifelong love of the industry, but because in the industry she sees greatness,” said Carlos Oramas, CEO of The Gems Group. “That’s leadership.”
At the beginning of the pandemic, panic buying forced retailers to respond quickly to make room in warehouses for products most in demand. In some cases, this threatened to displace floral orders which could have caused damage and disruption to the industry for years to come. Throughout the nominations, it was clear that Steier rose to the challenge to provide industry-wide leadership during this unpredictable time.
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